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In real life application, there are different processes of metal deformation used to alter
different metallic structures in microscopic or atomic scales. These different deformations on
very small scales can affect the overall properties of a certain material. This is why it is
important and useful for different kinds of engineers, (especially material engineers), to
determine these kinds of deformities and test how they can change when they are exposed to a
common experimental environments or real life situations.
There are two different types of deformation theories that were employed on this lab. One
of them was the cold working of copper samples, and the other one was the annealing of copper
samples.
Cold working is a type of metalworking done by subjecting metal to enough mechanical
stress to cause plastic deformation, a permanent change in the metal's crystalline structure. It gets
its name because it is done at temperatures below the metal's recrystallization point and alters the
metal's structure through mechanical stress rather than heat. The technique increases a metal's
strength and hardness while reducing its ductility. A number of different processes are used in
the modern metalworking industries that are applied to materials such as steel, aluminum, and
copper. [1]
This type of metalworking strengthens the material through a process called work
hardening or strain hardening. When the mechanical stress on a metal becomes high enough, it
causes permanent crystallographic defects, called dislocations, in the crystalline structure of the
metal's atoms. As the number of dislocations increases, it becomes more difficult for new ones to
form or for the existing defects to move through the crystal structure, making the metal become
more resistant to further deformation. This increases its yield strength and allows it to withstand
greater stress, but it also means that the metal becomes less ductile and that, if the metal is
subjected to too much stress, it will fracture rather than bend. [1]
Cold working is often more cost effective than working metal through heat treatment,
especially for large-volume production, because it produces comparable improvements in
strength while using materials more efficiently and requiring less finishing. The high initial
capital cost of this process, however, makes it less cost effective than heat treatment at smaller
scales. The lower ductility of cold-worked metal also makes it inferior in some applications. Its
higher resistance to deformation makes it less able to give way to forces the metal is not strong
enough to resist, and so if the metal is subjected to too much stress, it can fracture rather than
bend. Some metal production uses both methods at different points in the production process to
impart the desired qualities in the metal. [1]
There are a number of different methods that can be used for cold working. The most
common type is cold rolling, in which the metal being worked is squeezed through narrow gaps
between rotating metal rolls. The movement of the rolls compresses the material, causing
deformation as moves it through the gap. Another method is cold forging, in which metal is
shaped by forcing it into a die with a press or hammer. [1]
If it is desired to know for example the cold work percentage of a sample that has
exposed to rolling, the cold work % will be defined by formula (1).
(1)
Where